


Perfect Velvet (A Hollywood mystery!)

by xhyejinx



Category: NCT (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), 소녀시대 | Girls' Generation | SNSD
Genre: 1960s Music, Alternate Universe - 1960s, Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Hollywood, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Bars and Pubs, Character Death, Cults, Drug Use, F/M, Films, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multiple Personalities, Murder, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll, Smoking, Suspense, Time period: 1969, classic rock references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2020-10-19 09:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20654789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xhyejinx/pseuds/xhyejinx
Summary: Set the stage: 1969 Los Angeles. The city of angels. Hollywood is able to entertain the masses, the teenage youth are out in the streets protesting Vietnam, music is the driving force for change in America; it's definitely everything you would have expected.Until.A string of murders terrorizes the small-knit community of Hollywood stars. No one can trust each other. Everybody is hiding secrets from one another. Who is responsible for these murders? What secrets are being kept from the public? That's up for you to discover and uncover. This story follows multiple characters and their accounts as the police try to solve the case.Read on, that is if you dare.





	1. Good Times Bad Times - I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone and welcome to the first chapter of 'Perfect Velvet'! If you read the summary correctly, yes, this a murder mystery fiction. I was kinda inspired to write this after watching 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' because I love myself a vintage Hollywood tale. And before you ask, YES, there is a story playlist I decided to make because it just gives the fic a better feel to it. I will include the link below :) The playlist includes Kpop, classic rock, indie/alt, and soft R&B tracks to better fit the story. I recommend you listen to the playlist in the order presented since I think it goes well with the story.
> 
> LINK: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Dkz9oeXLpRxjx6fyiWoWn?si=32iyLJ6vQLS9hVc7itMRrQ
> 
> To answer some questions: this story is fit in 1969 and it includes a lot of references to classic rock and music in that time period since I, myself am a BIG fan of rock from that time period. I will try to include as many pop culture references from that time and if I get something incorrect, feel free to tell me! This story also isn't relationship-centered, however, I am including a few relationships to add to the plot but I wouldn't say they are that important, but I wanted to include some anyway.
> 
> If anyone has more questions, feel free to ask them below and I will try my best to answer them!  
Thank you for deciding to read my story!
> 
> (cross-posted on AsianFanFics: Dammi_)

**March 13, 1969  
7:30 PM, Los Angeles**

It was a beautiful evening in Sunny’s neighborhood, music was blasting from every house in the area, in fact, it was so loud that you could hear it from three blocks away. However, the music that everyone was listening to that night was Sunny Wonder. Who is Sunny Wonder, you’re asking? Ever since Sunny was a little girl, she had always dreamt of being famous, a famous singer to be exact. She started writing her own music after she listened to ‘Blue Velvet’ by Tony Bennett, after that she knew she wanted to be a superstar. When she turned twelve, her parents gifted her with a guitar, which she never put down. Secretly, she would put her thoughts in a notebook that she filled with lyrics and song ideas. It was her treasure. At the turn of the decade and the style of music began changing, so did she. With the political situation becoming corrupt, the teenage youth wanted to make sure their voices were being heard; after the president had been assassinated, Sunny and her friends could tell things were going downhill. Luckily, the juveniles had their music to keep them company. Sunny was all about every band who were politically motivated. For her generation, they had all grown up with strict, conservative parents, but with bands like The Who and The Rolling Stones, teenagers were motivated to go out and break the mold their parents expected them to be.

Sunny formed her band after she graduated high school. She befriended a college student who could play the drums, Johnny. The two shared very similar music tastes and both wanted to expose the Los Angeles area to their hard rock. Later, they found and convinced a girl who could play the bass, Siyeon, to join their group. Despite growing up in a very religious household, Siyeon was a big fan of hard rock and metal (“Don’t you dare bring up Jefferson Airplane in front of her,” Johnny would tell strangers at the bars they performed at “she’ll never shut up”). Finally, their guitarist, Yuta. He was a Japanese exchange student who persued music after he listened to The Spiders, specifically their song ‘Sad Sunset’, which was one of the biggest rock hits in Japan. He moved to Los Angeles in hopes of playing in a band, probably traveling with a famous musician; however, Sunny Wonder is like family to him. When he befriended Sunny, she introduced him to amazing bands like The Beatles, Blue Öyster Cult, and Jethro Dull, his whole perspective changed. Johnny thought he was one of the best guitarists out there.

For their time, it was totally unheard of for a woman to be in a band, notably a lead singer in a band; but, with Sunny’s vocals, you couldn’t deny the amount of talent and passion she had. She sang her music from the heart, everything that she sang, she believed in. No one was going to stop her from pursuing what she loves.

That evening, the band had scored a gig at a college bar that was well known for showcasing the best of the best. No, it wasn’t the Ed Sullivan Show, this wasn’t 1964, they weren’t The Beatles, but they damn sure were one of the best garage rock bands in the area. The Clementine was a hot spot for local college students and teenagers (who snuck in obviously), aspiring singers and bands performed there in hopes of becoming big like The Beatles.

“Sunny!” Johnny called out as he knocked on the lead singer's door, “can you two be finished with wardrobing and make-up already? I wanna head out soon.” However, Sunny and Siyeon couldn’t hear Johnny. Why you ask? Oh, they were blasting music from Sunny’s turn-table. Johnny got fed up and pushed the door open, standing in the door frame crossing his arms, he wasn’t angry, just a little annoyed. “Gals come on, you look amazing, there’s no need to spend an extra thirty-minutes on your look.”

Siyeon stopped doing her eyeliner and she turned to the man in the doorway, “I’m almost done just give me five more minutes. Sunny is still figuring out what to wear.”

“Seriously?” Johnny squinted at her and entered the slightly messy room, “what’s playing right now?”

Turning back to the mirror to finish her eyeliner, Siyeon said, “Led Zepplin’s _‘Good Times Bad Times’_, I’ve been following them around for a while and they just dropped their new single the other day!” Johnny liked it when he saw Siyeon happy, he didn’t have an exact reason why. It was probably that she always had a dark presence when she entered the parties.

“Nice,” the man commented, “what’s the B-Side?” he asked sitting down on Sunny’s bed.

“_‘Communication Breakdown’_,” she replies, finishing up her makeup. She turns to Johnny, wondering what he thought of her look for the evening, “what do you think? Do you like it?”

Johnny wasn’t an expert on women’s beauty, all he knew was that all the young women were following in the footsteps of Pattie Boyd, a famous model and the wife of George Harrison (or also known as the “quiet Beatle”). Her eye makeup was very vibrant, she sported blue eyeshadow, simple eyeliner, bulky lashes, and light pink lipstick. From what Johnny understood of women’s beauty trends, he told Siyeon she looked nice.

“Let me see what you’re wearing,” the woman stood up, gesturing he does so as well so she could examine his apparel. Johnny was wearing an orange, floral blouse with grey, plaid pants. “So, you’re going for The Monkees today?”

“Is that a bad thing?” Johnny asked the smaller woman as she led him to the mirror “I think it looks good, I was going for Peter Tork’s look this evening.”

Siyeon squinted at his reflection in the mirror, “I mean, I see that for you” she said honestly.

“Hey, which one of us is studying fashion and design? Me and not you.”

After waiting for another ten minutes, the band was prepared to leave. It was Siyeon’s turn to drive that night since Yuta drove them to the previous gig. Every night they had a show at a bar, they would switch drivers so it could be fair. They all hopped into Yuta’s white, Beetle convertible (which to this day, no one knows how he got the car) and proceeded to head to the bar. Siyeon tunned the radio to play the station with the biggest hits and turned the radio all the way up when she heard that The Doors were playing. She drove down the road fast since she wanted to get where she wanted to quickly (and wanted to show off to the men she was better than them). Yuta, who was sitting upfront with her, grabbed a box of cigarettes from the glove compartment and offered her one when they were stopped at a stoplight. “Could you light it for me please?” she asked politely, giving the guitarist a grin as she pulled one of the cigs out of the package and awaited the man to light it for her. She glanced at the car next to her, it was also a white convertible, but it was a Chevy Impala. The man in the driver's seat turned and looked at her as well, his stare was menacing. The woman in the other seats was quiet, actually, the entire car was silent, nothing was playing from the radio, no one was talking, the car wasn’t even running. Siyeon sent the man a stern look as her cigarette was lit and she took a puff from it and then exhaled the smoke. The light then turned green, she turned away from the strange site and sped away, shifting gears and accelerating quickly; the car didn’t follow behind her.

**Earlier that day**   
**4:10 PM, Hollywood**

“Alright cut!” the director shouted on the acting set as the scene they just filmed was finished. They were working on the next “Hollywood blockbuster”, or as the director explained it. The only reason people were going to see this film because the highest-paid actor was playing a role in it, Kang Seulgi. She was adored by the horror film nerds and the fashion geeks, Seulgi had a natural, stern look that entranced the nation with her mystery. 

“That’s a wrap today folks,” the producer confirms to the rest of the cast members “let’s meet up again tomorrow for filming.”

Mumbling under her breath, Seulgi applauded all the other actors on the set for their hard work and began leaving the film set, “what scenes will we film tomorrow?” she asks the director.

“Ah, yes,” the director stumbles over his words as he reaches for the script and flips through it “scenes ten through twelve, where your character, Catherine, gets captured by the Jaehyun’s character, Sammy, and he holds you for ransom.” 

This was Seulgi’s first role in an old wild west and oh boy did she hate it. There were only three other female actors on set, and they were her stunt doubles. Hollywood was such a man’s game. Seulgi preferred action and drama, her breakthrough role as an actor was her part in  _ ‘ Dead or Alive’ _ where she played a spy who had to kill her former enemies for betraying her. But the filming for this movie was almost over, so she could finally move on (the only reason she took the role was that they were offering her a high amount of money).

“Well, I will see you tomorrow for ten,” she smiles and heads off the set, moving towards her trailer where she could change and head back home. She was hoping for a peaceful evening where she could head out on the town and listen to some music. The process of changing out of her wild west outfit was always difficult, even the wardrobe designer had a hard time with it, and as was undressing, there was a knock at the door.

“Give me a moment!”

It still takes another minute for Seulgi to undress.

When she finally breaks free from the dress, she changes into a short and simple, brown dress and heads to the door of the trailer, opening it to see the cheeky face of Jaehyun.

“Why good afternoon,” the woman says as she leaned against the door, not expecting to be greeted by her fellow cast member.

Jaehyun chuckles as he looks up at her, “I just came over to congratulate you on the work that we accomplished on set today.”

“Oh well, that is nice of you to say,” Seulgi invites the fellow actor into her trailer so he doesn’t have to stand outside in the Los Angeles heat, “what brings you here?”

Sitting on the small couch, Jaehyun casts a bright look to the woman, “I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight?” He asks so matter of factly.

Seulgi glances at him and sits down in front of the large mirror to remove her makeup, she stays silent. But Jaehyun knew she was thinking about his question.

“Why are you asking me to drinks?” she asks with a grave look on her face.

“Thought that you and I should enjoy a nice evening together,” he says with a smile “we deserve a drink after all the filming we’ve done this week.”

Seulgi couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not, but she went along with it and just nodded. She kept quiet until she made up her mind, “sure, let’s get some drinks tonight.”

**8:24 PM, Central Los Angeles**

Seulgi and Jaehyun hopped out of the fancy, black car and onto the busy sidewalk, they told their driver to drop them off at the first bar he saw. Jaehyun told his driver to pick them up at exactly eleven-thirty. The area they were in seemed to be dominated by college students,  _ ‘great, hippies,’ _ Seulgi thought to herself. Jaehyun started walking in a random direction and the fellow actor followed him, looping her arm with his. The two entered a random bar that appeared to be very vacant, it looked very boujee. They entered and soon got a table, ordering cocktails and small foods for their appetites. The bar was very fancy, above the two was a large, bright chandelier, illuminating the area they were in. Seulgi loved the atmosphere, it was quiet but not  _ too _ quiet, it was just right. She recognized other film stars who were sitting at the bar, enjoying a drink for themselves with their significant other. Oh, how she missed having one.

“So how would you say filming is going?” Jaehyun said to interrupt her thoughts.

“Quite well, I would say,” Seulgi replies with a soft, forced smile, because, you know, she’s lying. She hated filming in the ugly, hot dresses, they didn’t look good on her and add in the Los Angeles heat into the mix and you have a complete mess.

Their drinks arrive and the two toast to a successful blockbuster, or let’s hope it’s one, and continued the small talk, progressively getting less “small” with the alcohol mixed in. But, Jaehyun couldn’t help but keep his eyes on a man at the bar, he was all alone and so entrancing. His soft brown hair was slicked back messily, with the dim lights illuminating his caramel skin, making him seem so mysterious. Jaehyun had caught glimpses of his face, but he was curious to see who was hiding behind that dim lighting.

“Jaehyun? Are you going to finish that?” Seulgi was swirling the wine in her glass, she was slightly tipsy, but not very drunk. Whenever she drank, she would progressively become less dignified, she was not an aggressive drinker, but she definitely was not a slow drinker.

Snapping himself out of his trance, Jaehyun nodded, sliding the finger foods onto his plate so Seulgi wouldn’t steal them. She laughs softly and takes another sip from her wine. They continue to chatter about previous films they’ve done, notices for ones they declined, and possible future blockbusters they cannot wait to start working on. Seulgi didn’t know if this was the alcohol talking, but she never realized how interesting a person Jaehyun was, he was sweet and caring, loved small talk and always let a woman speak first about her opinions.

As Jaehyun went to take a sip of his alcohol, he noticed the mysterious man from the bar heading towards the restrooms, the man cast a look and winked before he turned away and walked off. Jaehyun gulped down the bitter alcohol to ease his nervousness and he stood up from his seat, informing Seulgi that he needed to use the restroom. She blinks but gives him a firm nod as she continued to drink from her wine glass.

Jaehyun slowly paced his way towards the bathroom, not to seem suspicious or in a hurry. He enters the restrooms and looks around the stalls, exhaling quietly before he heads to one of the urinals. He felt very nervous for some reason, he felt all of his pores push out one droplet of sweat on his face, he thought he was dehydrated but he had been drinking water all day and was enjoying food and alcohol with Seulgi. He got the feeling he wasn’t alone. When he was finished, he pulled up his pants and buckled his belt before heading towards the sink to wash his hands. Jaehyun liked to be clean, so he was that one person washing his hands with soap and water for two minutes. The man emerged from one of the stalls and gazed into the mirror that Jaehyun was looking in, causing him to turn around quickly.

“You’re nervous,” the man says with a grin spread across his cheeks “I can tell that you’ve been sneaking looks at me all evening.”

Jaehyun gulps, slightly intoxicated and weary, but he keeps himself composed, too nervous to even speak. The mysterious man steps forward and closer to the actor, keeping the sly grin on his face.

“You’re not going to say anything?” tilting his head, the man gives a soft, playful pout to tease. Jaehyun felt his hands grip the sink as he continued to stare at the man who was so  _ irresistible _ .

But he felt so guilty about it. Without hesitation, the man strode forward at the actor, roughly connecting their lips together, pushing him against the sink by surprise.

Jaehyun was taken aback but found himself surrendering into the experience. He loathed himself for not being able to endure this feeling until now. Why did he decide to contain it? Why couldn’t he be more open? He was an abomination yet he felt so wondrous. Their kiss had felt like it had been going on for an eternity, Jaehyun could get used to this sensation.

The man’s wet lips left the others and began trailing pecks on Jaehyun’s neck, causing the actor to groan quietly before he pulls away. 

“I can’t,” Jaehyun breaths out giving the man a worried look “not right now at least..”

“Okay then,” the man hummed licking his lips before pressing them against the actors for one last time before backing away. Jaehyun could taste the alcohol on the other man’s lips, but secretly, he wanted to just taste it all night.

“Can I get your name at least?” the actor plea’s as he straightens himself up “and will we ever see each other again?”

Shrugging, the man before him chuckles and turns his back to the actor, “we’ll see, love.”  _ Love _ . Oh, the way that rolled beautifully off the tongue, it made Jaehyun shiver. He winks at the actor again before he turns around, heading towards the door and just as he opened it, he stood in the frame before saying, “Tae-” he stutters first, correcting himself later on “the name’s Tyler” then he left the restroom. Leaving Jahyun by himself.

**12:05 PM, Near Beverly Hills**

Yuta and Siyeon were the only sober ones that evening because Sunny and Johnny got drunk after performing. The road they were driving along was quiet but  _ too _ quiet for Siyeon’s taste, she thought to herself as she took a puff of her cigarette and continued to drive down the silent road with the car radio blasting music. Yuta gave her a look, as he was thinking the same things she was, he didn’t like how silent it was too.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” he asked her.

She nods, “I’ve taken this route before, but normally, it isn’t this silent” as she spoke, she glanced at the woods the road curved around, wondering what lurked among the trees. Something felt  _ off _ . As Siyeon was about to turn onto a different road, a police car was stationed to block any cars from entering the intersection. She stopped quickly, very confused as she gave Yuta a look, yet she obeyed the law and pulled over. The police officer gets out of his vehicle and approaches the Beetle quickly, Siyeon turned the radio down and put her cigarette in the ashtray.

“May I ask where you folks are coming from?” the policeman asks the driver.

“We’re returning from The Clementine, you know, the college bar,” Yuta responds politely “and we had a gig there earlier this evening and we are just returning home” Siyeon nods to Yuta’s answer.

“The two in the back are passed out from drinking,” Siyeon adds.

The officer nods and looks around the area, “alright, if you can, could you try going down another road? Where are you headed?”

“Koreatown, sir,” Yuta says “is there anything wrong with the road we’re taking now?”

“There’s been a disturbance up in this area,” the officer says “up in these hills are some Hollywood stars houses and I’ve been told to patrol and watch out for any trespassers. I recommend you all take a left at this intersection and it will lead you to a more suburban neighborhood. I don’t know how to get to Koreatown from here but it’s just safer to go through the suburbs.”

Yuta and Siyeon nod, thanking the officer before the headed down a different road. The two looked at each other weirdly as they headed downhill into the suburbs. Siyeon wasn’t aware that the hills were home to Hollywood actors.

“That was strange,” Yuta comments as he looked at Siyeon “wonder what he was talking about?”

Siyeon shook her head as she grabbed her cigarette from the tray and began smoking it again, “do you think someone's house got broken into?”

“I don’t know,” Yuta shrugged.

It took them another thirty minutes to get back to Sunny’s apartment and then they spent another ten minutes to get Johnny and Sunny out of the car and onto the couch. They were hungover and conscious but slightly drowsy. Yuta placed Johnny on the couch and proceeded to wake him up by pouring cold water on his face. Siyeon turned the television on, hoping to find any late-night entertainment, but nothing was interesting so she left it on a random channel and turned the volume up.

“Do you want anything?” She asks Yuta as she headed to the kitchen to find a snack.

“Could you get me a Coke?” he requests helping Johnny sit up on the couch, he was getting there, but still didn’t know what was going on.

The television erupts with a loud noise, signaling that a late recording of the news was airing.  _ “ This just in, there has been a break-in and homicide at a Hollywood residence this evening. Beloved actress Joy Park has been murdered in her home by an unknown assailant…” _

“What?!” Siyeon shouts from the kitchen and speeds into the living room with the others, Johnny seemed to have awakened after hearing the news blast loudly in his face.

“Jesus Christ,” Yuta mumbles, his eyes glued to the screen.

_ “Police on the scene say that the homicide occurred at around eleven-o-clock this evening when Joy’s husband came home to find her body dead in the living room. Maids in the house during the time the murder supposedly happened heard nothing out of the ordinary until her husband returned home.” _

Johnny spoke to break the silence, “does anyone know what films she was in?”

Siyeon smacks the drummer as she hands Yuta a Coke, sighing and shaking her head towards the screen, “my God, this is terrible. I hope the police can solve it.”

“This is Los Angeles!” Johnny proclaimed, “if the LAPD “can’t solve” the murder of The Black Dahila, then they sure as hell won’t solve this one.”

“He’s right,” Yuta muttered, “everyone here says the police are corrupt.”

There was a heavy feeling in the room, a burden-like feeling almost, Sunny was passed out on the chair, Siyeon and Yuta were remorseful, and Johnny felt guilty. They all felt terrible and probably would feel worse tomorrow (even though it was twelve-thirty five). They made bad decisions, bad choices, they would look back on this moment think to themselves how could have this been avoided?

Filmdom was in shatters. Jaehyun knew what he did was going to ruin his reputation, his career would go down the drain if the public found out. What if someone saw? He felt sick of himself and Seulgi knew it. She had always known but she decided to keep her mouth shut. What was the city going to do now? A movie star had been murder, bad decisions were made, and secrets were being kept.

Welcome to Hollywood.


	2. Life in the City - II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for such a long wait! it was such a struggle trying to write this chapter and keep school balanced :,(
> 
> but despite the wait, i know that you will enjoy this! i personally find this part more interesting than chapter one! please enjoy!
> 
> (if anyone wants the link to the playlist again, here y'all go ^^: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Dkz9oeXLpRxjx6fyiWoWn?si=Y565xNk1Sde3G0WkCMYs8g

** _ March 12, 1969  
8:23 PM, Arts District _ **

All the bars in the Art District were overly saturated in the stench of smoke and booze; yet, they were critiqued as the finest jazz bars in the Los Angeles area. Artists from all around the city, the country even, came to this district to steal the spotlight and gain some attention to become the next big star. That was Wendy’s dream, well, not exactly. Her dream was to write music and sing for thousands of people. Music was her passion.

With her father "missing" after the Red Scare and her mother an alcoholic who was somewhere in Florida, Wendy grew up with her grandparents in Tenessee, who conveniently kept the radio on at all times, exposing her young ears to such powerful music. Her guardians taught her how to play the guitar and piano when she was young and she kept those talents along with her when she began to write her music. The first song that Wendy wrote was about her best friend, Angela, who had left to move away to New York, she has not shown it to anyone, keeping the song to herself until it was perfect for public viewing (revising it as she got older).

After graduating high school, the little, country-town girl packed her bags and headed towards Los Angeles. She first earned herself a waitressing job at a small café in a cute, sequestered neighborhood, she would sing there during the afternoon and earn a little bit of money. Luckily, she had a friend who let her pay rent and stay in a small house together. 

After two years of begging and searching, she finally scored a gig at The Blue Note, a popular jazz bar for upcoming artists. While Wendy's music wasn't jazz, it was more country, she would hope that people should enjoy it either way. Her grandparents thought that she should stay and move to Nashville, where the demand for country music was higher and all the young ladies would meet a man who would sign her on a contract. Hopefully, the artists of the Los Angeles area would sympathize with her. 

It was a gorgeous evening in Los Angeles and when the sun set below the horizon, the sky was illuminated in beautiful shades of a carrot orange and burgundy. Soon the moon would lounge in the sky, pulling its navy blue blanket over the heavens and rest for the night as the people down below partied and cherished their time on Earth.

A mysterious woman entered the jazz bar, her long, black dress and leather jacket hid her figure from the public viewing as she waltzed in; a man shortly trailing behind her. The couple sat down at the bar, awaiting the order of their liquors; this was their weekly tradition. The two would come every Friday and enjoy liquor and music to ease the pain of their rough weeks. 

Moon Taeil was one of the lead detectives at the LAPD, he had been on the force for close to seven years, exactly around the time when he met his wife, Yuri. She truly was scintillating to him; Yuri was so fortunate to be married to the best man in the world. She moved to Los Angeles back in 1953 where she wanted to seek to become a singer-songwriter. At her first job, she was able to be recognized for her songwriting skills and scored a position at a highly respected and acclaimed company. However, she wanted to be more than just a songwriter, she wanted to produce and sing her music, have crowds chant her name, sing along to her songs, and that was only the beginning of what she wanted. But she knew that she would never be able to achieve her dreams; with the company mostly made up of men, she sadly let go of those aspirations.

However, one man remarked Yuri's dreams and put the spotlight on her for once. That man was Moon Taeil. Having connections to multiple jazz bars in the Los Angeles area, he instantly connected her to managers and bands who would love have to have a woman sing with them. Later on, a company finally recognized her talents and signed a contract with the singer, finally earning her the respect she deserved. The first record she released became a top-charting album almost anywhere you can think of, it was nominated for Album of the Year and was so close to winning.

Yuri and Taeil married a few years later, close to the end of the decade, and had always supported each other in their professions. Taeil would describe his wife's music almost as baroque, he believed that it brought a new sound to the rhythm and blues genre, maybe something like Avante-jazz. But, he was not an expert, all he knew was that he loved her sincerely and would do anything for her.

Turning to the bartender, the woman asked the man about the performing act of the evening and after hearing a little bit about the songstress, Yuri became fascinated. Drinking from her wine glass, she turns to her husband with a gleaming face, telling him how excited she was for the performance. He smiles at her and nods, happy to see the excitement and enthusiasm in her eyes.

"Will you have to come into work tomorrow?" she asks taking small sips from her alcohol, the woman had a fair alcohol tolerance, she never got drunk too quickly.

Humming, the detective scans the room, (it was an instinct he had), he noticed all the dimly lit candles that were barely illuminating the bar. People were chatting amongst themselves and drinking spirits, the mood was very relaxed and calm, Taeil loved evenings like these.

"It depends," he replies turning to her, Taeil wouldn't always have to come into work on weekends, but it depended on if a crime was committed. The man was in charge of the homicide department, he handled all of Los Angeles's intense and grim cases.

The time came for Wendy to perform; she was nervous since she had never performed before a crowd of strangers in her life, only family and friends. What if she messes up? What if she sings out of key? What if she forgot the lyrics? Oh no, there was so much going on her mind, she couldn't focus! Enveloping her hands around the necklace on her neck, the small-town girl let out a deep breath to try and calm herself down. She manages to do so after continuing breathing exercises that her grandmother taught her. Oh, how she missed that woman.

Wendy was about to get on stage and perform; she was ready. Guitar in hand, she stepped on stage after the emcee introduced her and stood before the microphone, the audience staring directly at her, waiting for her to perform. The small woman glanced at the pianist, who gave her a soft nod, ready to play with her. Her guitar pick grazed the strings of her guitar, playing a quiet tune to the song that she was about to sing. 

_ "When you left this town, with your windows down," _ her tone was so elegant, despite that she was singing so softly, she had so much emotion in her voice. Yuri could hear every bottled up sensation the singer harmonized.

_ "Oh Angela, it's a long time coming; oh Angela, spent your whole life running, " _

_ "Home at last," _ she belts out, singing with every emotion in her body. She let it all out; from her best friend leaving to New York to her getting turned down at the first gig she wanted to perform at. This was her passion and she was finally able to let people hear her piece for once. She was just so happy.

When she was done singing her first song, Wendy paused to wait for a response from the crowd. She got a fair amount of positive responses from the audience; she noticed a woman from the bar standing up from her seat and clapping amongst the crowd who were sitting in their seats and enjoying the show. Nonetheless, she put on a bright smile and continued with her performance.

** _ March 13, 1969  
11:40 PM, Beverly Hills _ **

Entering the colossal mansion, Taeil scans the scene, discerning if anything was out of the ordinary (other than the obvious homicide in the other room). Two officers pace toward him, one holding a plastic bag that encased a bloody knife and writing that was scribbled in Sharpie on it.

"This was found in the victim," the officer says to Taeil, "I'm going to be honest with you sir, this does not seem like your average homicide."

"There were around fifty stab wounds all over the body," the other officer says. 

Biting his lip as he looked around the mansion again, he studied the uniform architecture of the estate, from the chandeliers to the marble countertops. There was blood all over the white walls in the living room and due to oxidation, it had started to turn brown already.

"How long has the victim been dead?" Taeil asks Mark, the young officer, who had been on the force for a year and solved about ten cases.

"We don't have a precise answer," Mark says as he turned to the crime scene "judging by the stab wounds and the oxidized blood, I would say around forty-five minutes or possibly even an hour."

"Shit," Taeil cursed under his breath "do we have forensics on the scene?"

Nodding, the young officer leads Taeil to the scene of the crime, the living room. A bloody, mangled corpse lay in the middle of the floor, a liquidy mix of burgundy was splattered all over the area; even on the walls. The dead actress laid flat on her stomach, exposing the officers to the fifty puncture wounds on her posterior. The odor was painfull to inhale, it reeked of iron and something indescribable, making the officers gag and cover their nostrils with a white handkerchief. Everyone felt at malaise.

"Gross," one of the officers recoiled in a disheveled manner, "what is that smell?"

"The mix of tendrils and blood," a man on the scene says. Doyoung was one of the forensics officers who was close friends with Taeil, they went to school together and made sure to take care of each other when times got rough. Taeil believed that Doyoung was one of the best forensic scientists in the area ("you should check out his notes from school").

"When was she murdered?" Taeil inquires as he takes out his notepad and pen to write details down.

Crossing his arms as he glances back at the corpse, Doyoung knows that he doesn't have the correct answer, but he tells the others what he knows, "well, I don't believe I have come to a correction conclusion yet, but, I hypothesize that she was murdered between ten-fifty and eleven-fifteen. But, what I found most interesting is that there was only one homicide tonight."

"What do you mean by that?" Mark asks the specialist.

"No one else died in this house," replies Doyoung, "Joy Park is, or was, the most highly respected actress in Hollywood. Her husband was a notable photographer, her son has already starred in his first blockbuster, she has maids tending to her everyday needs, yet, only this woman was killed."

Right as Doyoung came to his conclusion, a child lets out the loudest wail, frightening everyone for a moment. Taking notes from what Doyoung explained, Taeil closed his notebook and put it back in the pocket and turned to the rest of the officers on the scene.

"Well, I think the forensics team should bring the body back to the lab," Taeil says, "I should probably talk to the son, I bet the kiddo is scared to death. Mark; Sooyoung, I want you two to talk to the maids in the house, ask them about what happened before and after the murder."

The two officers nodded at his command and scattered somewhere in the house. The head detective walked up the long, winding staircase, observing the forensics team pick up the cadaver and place it in a body bag, and once he reached the top step, he admired the elegant design of the second floor. There were officers on the floor counseling the husband and son, who must have been devastated (you can't blame them). Entering a large bedroom, three officers were delivering the bad news to the widower, Taeil could feel the distress and anger in the room and it even caused his mood to darken. The other officers noticed Taeil enter the room and they quickly transfer the conversation to him. 

"I assume you're the spouse of Mrs. Park," the detective says softly, making sure the words coming out of his mouth were not pushy.

The man didn't look at Taeil, he kept his vision in his lap as he gives a stiff nod to the officer.

"Mr. Park, I am Detective Taeil," he introduces himself genuinely "I just need to ask you a few questions about the events tonight. Can you tell me where you were the time when your wife was killed?"

Letting out a loud, lachrymose sigh, "I was coming home from work. The photography business I own was working on transferring images to the local newspaper about those fucking hippies protesting again." He means all the teenagers protesting about why the U.S. shouldn't be overseas in Vietnam.

Taeil wrote those details down and listened to the man, making sure he got down everything he said, "and what time did you arrive home?"

"Around eleven-thirty," the widower replies, "and her body was laying there, mutilated and lifeless" and he began to weep.

The detective knew that he couldn't do anything other than offer his sympathy, but that wouldn't be enough, "I understand that this is very hard for you sir," Taeil stands up, putting away his notepad, "I know that grief is a hard cycle to get yourself out of, but, I believe that you and your son can get through it." With that, Taeil leaves the room. 

He heads back downstairs to the other officers to see what evidence they picked up and noticed. Mark and Yerim approached Taeil as soon as he entered the kitchen, informing the detective of what they found.

"Mr. Park is such a bad liar," Taeil tells his understudies; they send him a confused look.

"What would he be lying about?" Yerim asks crossing her arms across her chest "he seemed so in denial about his wife being dead."

Taeil shook his head with a chuckle, "that's not the case here. He _ is _ in denial, but, his alibi is a lie."

The two detectives were shooked, widening their eyes and gasping.

"Think he killed her?" Mark suggested.

Yerim nudged his side, wanting him to know that that isn't the case.

"No, he didn't kill her," Taeil says taking his notepad out and showing the others the notes he transcribed, "he told me that he was finishing up work and that they had to transfer photos to the local newspaper."

Yerim caught on to what he was saying, "but, don't the newspaper companies all close at seven?"

Snapping his fingers at the woman with a grin, Taeil nods, "correct!"

It took another hour to clean up everything, gather evidence, and interview witnesses (who would have to come in again for questioning), Taeil and his colleagues head back to the station to organize data and mostly so the forensics team could start examining the corpse. Taeil was a diligent investigator, he never let a case go unsolved, despite the corruption of his department, the man had a thirst for justice. Bringing his team of investigators into a conference room, Taeil had everyone place all the evidence on the table and made them tell him everything about it. Heading to the corner of the room, the man skims through some of the records on the shelf, choosing the right one for the mood and put it on the record player. As the music began to play, Taeil had all the officers sit down at the table and listen to the spiele that he had to offer.

"Okay, what do we know?" he asked the group of detectives, who proceeded to give him a wide-eyed look, "anyone?"

Mark raised his hand, "this could just be me, but, I feel like more than one person committed this."

"Oh yeah?" Yerim questioned, "and what are your reasons?"

"Well," the young officer began, "from all the cases I've worked on, I have never seen this amount of damage on a body done by a singular person. I mean, there had to have been a group system of up to four people."

The room got cold all of a sudden (it could have been the fan turning on but who knows), even though everyone in the room had worked on more than five cases, they felt a heavy burden placed upon them so suddenly. The jazz music didn't help to calm their nerves. It was so wobegone.

"So, um," an officer broke the silence, "is this Louis Armstrong?"

"No," scoffed Taeil as he proceeded to get out his notepad, "it's Duke Ellington, get your jazz musicians correct."

Mark sighs, "look's like we'll be here all night."

** _ March 14, 1969  
10:10 AM, Koreatown _ **

Yuta made coffee for everyone that morning because they were all too tired to hop off the couch and _ someone _ was hungover. The television was on with Siyeon's eyed glued to the screen as the news continued to report the breaking story of Park Joy's murder. The entire city was in shock, Joy was a highly respected actress that everyone had looked up to in times of despair. She was the saint of Hollywood, but now you could say she was a martyr of this beloved city. Siyeon was quite familiar with Joy's films, her parents always had the television on in her home, so, occasionally, you could catch little Siyeon watching movies.

"Hey, could you wake up everyone?" Yuta brought coffee into the living room and then picked up the box of cigarettes on the table, taking a cig out and lighting it for himself, "I also made coffee, feel free to modify it to your liking."

Nodding, Siyeon head into the kitchen and grabbed a pot and a pan, brought them into the living room and smashed the two pieces of metal together, generating a loud racket that made the two hungover students awaken.

"Siyeon, what the fuck!" Johnny groans as he covers his ears in agony; Sunny reacts similarly as well. 

Returning the pot and pan to the kitchen, Siyeon poured the two a cup of coffee, not caring to pour in milk or sugar, since that was their damn responsibility, "morning sleepyheads," she gives the two a cheesy grin. Johnny attempted to glare at the woman, but the sun shone in his face, causing him to grunt again and shoved his face in a pillow.

"Cigarettes for breakfast?" Sunny mumbled to Yuta; in the process of getting out of the chair, she fell to the floor, Siyeon laughing and making fun of her as she laid on the carpet.

"Loser," the bassist chuckled.

"Fuck off," grumbled Sunny.

The television made a loud noise like it had earlier that morning (at midnight). It was the nine-o-clock news reporting anything that people missed from earlier, _ "for those who were not with us last night, beloved actress Joy Park was killed in her home last night. We have an update from the police and they have determined that her death was ruled a homicide by an unknown assailant or assailants. Now to Wheein, who is on the scene of the crime." _

"My God," Sunny murmured as she waddled to the couch where everyone else was huddled and she grabbed the cup of coffee that Siyeon poured for her. When she took a sip, she nearly spat it out due to how bitter it was, "Siyeon what the hell! Don't make the coffee so bitter."

"Shh," Siyeon hushed the other woman and had her eyes glued to the screen, "imagine how her husband and son must feel."

"Siyeon, I get that you're upset," Johnny says as he slowly gets up from the couch, "but don't let it distract you from the gig tonight."

Sighing, the woman nods, "Right, I know. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize," Yuta casts her a sweet smile and continues to take puffs from his cigarette. Siyeon gives him a weak grin and takes the cigarette from his mouth and takes a puff from it (more like a couple) before returning it to its owner.

"Alright," Sunny interjects, "let's practice in an hour, I need to shower and figure out how we're going to power through the day."

Johnny chuckles, "no you need to figure out how you're going to power through the day. I'm less hungover than you are."

And with that, the day began, the band had a gig that evening that needed to be practiced for and perfected for the audience. Sunny wanted everything to be flawless, she didn't want to disappoint potential fans. Undeterred by the beautiful day, there was a dark storm rising in the east, Joy Park may have been the only dead actor, but that doesn't warrant the fact that there were more to come. Who would be killed next? Or would there even be another death? People just hoped it wasn't them who were going to end up dead in a pool of blood.

Taeil hoped and prayed he could solve the case, he knew they could solve it, but that was up to the officers and leaders of the department. Taeil craved justice just like a kid craving ice cream on a hot, summer day, it needed to be served, he wouldn't stand for another case to go unsolved. The city doesn't deserve that. Nobody deserves to be killed.

But, what can I say, life in the city will never be pretty.


	3. Kingdom Come - III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!!! PLEASE READ THIS NOTE BEFORE CONTINUING AHEAD !!!!!
> 
> this story was planned out and I began writing this before the sudden and sad death of Sulli. out of respect for the members of the group and the f(x) stans (if any are reading this), i have decided to remove the two f(x) members that i was originally going to include in the story (victoria and sulli). i was never an f(x) stan, but i always had a respect for the members and the impact that the girls obviously had on the industry. may sulli rest in peace and i hope some change happens in the industry after the sad deaths of jonghyun and sulli. ❤️
> 
> that is all i wanted to say. thank you for reading this note beforehand and i hope you all enjoy the next chapter.

** March 20, 1969  
** ** 12:45 PM, Hollywood **

"Let her go, Sammy."

"Not in a million years, you know much Miss Catherine is worth?"

"Just give Catherine back to me and you won't end up with a hole in your body."

"One more word out of you and-" Jaehyun pauses, he forgot the damn line, "shit!" The actor yells. The child on the set looked at the man with wide eyes as he shouted profanity.

The director tries calming down the actor, flipping to the pages in the script where Jaehyun forgot his parts, "do-do you just want to take a ten-minute break?"

Sighing, Jaehyun stands upright, loosening his grip on Seulgi, "look, I know my lines but when I'm right in the moment, my brain quits on me, sir." As the actor finished speaking, one of the many people walking around the stage area stopped to watch the scene unfold. 

The actor's vision travel to a familiar pair of eyes, it was Tyler. The man from the bar gives Jaehyun a wink, nodding his head towards a small closet off the set (Seulgi notices the interaction and stays silent).

The producer chimes in, "let's take a break then?"

Everyone on set gives a firm nod. The director calls for a quick break and all the actors on the set start to head towards their stylists, except Jaehyun. He tries to pursue the mysterious man's steps and he finds himself gawking towards a closet with the man standing before it. He winks at the actor before he retreats into the small room; waiting for Jaehyun to join him. The actor shivers at the thought.

"Jaehyun," Seulgi calls out to the man and steps towards him, wondering if he was alright, the man seemed out of it.

All he did was give her a look before he turned around and head towards the closet that was calling his name, it was so alluring for him not to investigate. Seulgi watched in secrecy, it wasn't a surprise to her, she knew, she had known for a long time, all she hoped for was that no one else did.

When Jaehyun slowly entered the closet, he was met with a pair of family, mysterious eyes, looking directly into his soul and mesmerizing his heart. The man shuts the door and the lights suddenly dim out. Jaehyun is caught off guard when the latter crashes their lips together and pushes his figure against the wall. Oh how Jaehyun  _ yearned _ for this feeling.

"I've been seeing your movie posters everywhere," says Tyler with a sly grin, "it's so hard for me to stop thinking about you."

Jaehyun shivers as he heard those words coming from Tyler's mouth, everything he said sounded so attractive and engaging, Jaehyun was so  _ infatuated. _

"Real-really?" the actor swallows the saliva in his mouth, he's so damn nervous, yet exhilarated. The other man connects their lips again and it felt like a kiss from Heaven, the latter's lips were soft yet rough.

Tyler pulls away, reveling at the other man's pout, "tell me, what do you want?"

Licking and biting his own lip, Jaehyun lets out a soft hum, "dinner with you."

Chuckling, the other man's eyes scan up and down Jaehyun, possibly figuring out how he could wedge himself into every nook and cranny that the actor would expose to him, "are you really sure you want that?"

The question made Jaehyun tremble, he was scared but he felt so turned on. He feared being loved, yet he despised being alone. The actor nods and he leaned forward to connect their lips again, for something more tender yet soft and loving.

Jaehyun pulls away, knowing he has to return back the set and finish filming, but he doesn't want to, he wants to stay with Tyler and be  _ lascivious. _

"Go back, my love," Tyler says to the other man, "meet me at the bar tonight for nine-thirty, after all, you want dinner together."

Jaehyun shuttered and leaned in for another kiss before slipping out of the closet to head back to the set; he looked around to make sure that no one noticed his sudden disappearance. A small figure approached him, suddenly wrapping themselves around Jaehyun's calf.

"Boo!" exclaimed the little child. Jaehyun acted surprised (as he was an actor) and let out a chuckle as he tried to pry the little human off his leg.

"You scared me, Jisung!" 

Park Jisung was the youngest actor on the set, he was eight. He had a love for wild west movies, the little guy would tell adults that he wanted to be a cowboy when he grew up. His role in the upcoming blockbuster was minor, he mostly offered comic relief and moral support to the protagonist.

"Are you alright, mister Jaehyun?" asked the young boy, "you scared me there for a moment."

Giving the minor a chuckle, Jaehyun nodded, "don't you worry about me, Jeffery is peachy keen."

Jeffery was the nickname that Jisung and many others gave to Jaehyun.

The director and producers called all the actors back on set to resume filming for the final scenes of the movie. Seulgi and Jaehyun were so relieved with the fact that this would soon be over, they did not enjoy wearing the old western outfits.

Jaehyun was on edge for the rest of filming, he was so eager to meet someone new. Tyler was such a dreamy person who was mysterious and secretive―Jaehyun loved a man like that―there was no imperfection that he could point out.

He was heading towards the feeling of passion and desire. All Jaehyun wanted was to be cherished. He wanted to love and he was willing to do anything to achieve that feeling.

** Later that evening  
** ** 8:20 PM, Beverly Hills **

Jaehyun escorted Seulgi into her home, he always wanted to look out for her, especially since an actress was dead and he didn't want the next one to be her. The two enter her moderately sized home, the woman wasn't married nor eloped with anyone (that the public knew of), she loved to be alone in a home that was right for her. 

Old books kept her company when she needed it the most because she knew no man could tell her stories of melodrama and folklore. Off to the side of her books, sat a turntable and a shelf of old records that her parents raised her with; most likely, you will find her on a Saturday evening listening to Elvis and reading Shakespeare. 

Entering a small room, Seulgi revealed her liquor cabinet to Jaehyun, asking him if he wanted any alcohol or spirits for the evening; he declines nicely. The woman pulls out a chalice for herself and a bottle of red wine.

"Sure you don't want anything?" She asks again with a soft smile. Jaehyun declines her offer again. Putting the wine down, after almost filling her glass up all the way, she sits down on the chaise lounge, letting her legs stretch all the way down its soft, design. Jaehyun observes the way she lays across divan piece of furniture, she was so graceful and beautiful. He loved and adored everything about Seulgi, yet he knew if he told her who he really was, the man knew her heart would be broken. 

He notices two paintings above the woman's head, one was slanted, displaying a beautiful scene of the evening sky, and the one juxtaposed to it was an illustration of her. The pencil sketches were so simple yet complex, symbolizing Seulgi's personality; her perfect, mysterious image was a disguise for her unhappy past.

He spots a turn-table in the corner of the room, retreating towards it and automatically flipped through the records on display on the shelves. Jaehyun selects something soothing for the evening and puts on a Patsy Cline record for their satisfaction. When he turns to her, she looks at him with her deep, unfathomable eyes, she was staring straight into his bright heart. He strides towards her, kneeling down to her eye level and advancing his lips onto her for a chaste, soft kiss. She wasn't surprised. Jaehyun pulls them closer as he cups her cheek into his palm, the limited amount of space bothered him.

_ "Tell me, what do you want?" _ Tyler's words echoed throughout the actor's heads. Damnit, now wasn't the time to be thinking about someone else. No matter how hard he tried, Tyler wasn't going to escape the crevices of his soul. He was in too deep. Pulling away, Jaehyun looks at Seulgi with worry, he was scared she knew.

"Are you okay?" She asks with a troubled look. Seulgi's hand reached forward and envelop his hands in a blanket of warm, assuring him comfort and aid.

Jaehyun kept looking away from her, he was too scared to face the reality of rejection. Tears began falling down his cheeks, he couldn't stop them from pooling into his lap; out of shame, he buries his face into her dress, letting out a wail.

"I'm sorry!" he cries out, clenching the fabric of her gown, "I can't continue lying to you anymore."

"Jae?" Seulgi strokes and runs her slim fingers through his short, blonde locks. He sits up, looking directly at her, his face puffy, red and wet.

"I'm.." He couldn't do it, he knew it. Jaehyun was a coward who would never be loved. If he were more honest, he wouldn't be weeping like such a child, "I'm a homosexual!"

He continued to wail into her dress, awaiting her answer.

"I know," she finally said, "I've always known."

Jaehyun looks up her face; this time, she gives him a soft expression, her eyes told him it would be alright and the smile across her lips couldn't have been more loving. He wraps his arms around her, holding the woman tight, making sure to never let go. He was too scared to let go. He continues to cry, but after a few minutes, he was able to calm himself down.

"I don't think I have ever been so infatuated with someone before," he says after their moment of silence and pulls away from the embrace, taking a second to sit on the lounge next to her.

"Who? The man you were in the closet with earlier?" Seulgi reaches for the box cigarettes that were laying around on the table and lit one for herself.

Jaehyun nods as he takes her glass of wine and takes a sip from her grail, "there's just something about him that makes him different from the men I've-" He stops speaking, not wanting to revisit those bad memories from his past.

"What? From the men you've been with previously?" The woman says straightforwardly as she takes a puff of her cigarette.

"I would rather not," mutters Jaehyun, letting out a sigh, "so, will you be my fake girlfriend?"

Seulgi was slightly taken aback by the question. Giving the man a stern look, she takes a sip from her wine and reaches for his hand, "look at me, life is going to be so difficult for you from now on and I am sorry you're going to have to go through all of it"

He looks at her and sighs, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"There are so many people who love and look up to you," she says, "if they find out about who you really are, they are going to turn on you just like that."

"I know," Jaehyun says to her, "and I am willing to risk my career for being myself."

"And, I am also sorry in advance for all the bullshit you are going to have to deal with."

Jaehyun looks at her and nods; the two stay quiet as they let the lit cigarette and music infiltrate the room. 

** 11:45 PM, Los Angeles Police Department **

Joy's murder made Taeil angry, he loathed the people who thought her death would go unnoticed. With the lack of evidence to pin the murder on anyone, all the officers who were originally on board lost interest. Mark and Yerim, however, stayed by their boss's side, knowing they would be able to solve the case in a city full of corruption.

Taeil locked himself and his associates in the conference room to review and go over what evidence they had (probably for the one-hundredth time). Mark was uninterested in what crazy conspiracies Taeil could come up with and repeat for the fifth time throughout the evening. If the officer were frank, he preferred to be at the bar and listening to music; but, Mark was stuck in a conference room listening to crazy, unlikely theories.

Taeil was about to spew out another connivance, however, Yerim stops him this time. "Sir, none of these theories are making sense. Can we just finish working for the day and head home? It's nearly midnight."

Sighing, Taeil lets out a groan and slumps into his chair, reaching for the lit cigarette in the ashtray to continue smoking, "this case is driving me insane, I don't know what to do."

"You should rest and go home to your wife," says Mark with a hopeful tone, "she probably hasn't been able to spend time with you in a bit."

"You're right," mutters Taeil as he lets out a breath of smoke from his cigarette. They all sit in silence for a moment before the detective stands up and looks at his bulletin board that was covered in red string, grotesque pictures, and bad handwriting (it was Mark's). "I feel like I'm onto something," the man glances at the picture of Joy's husband, knowing the widower was hiding something.

"I know, but this is the seventh time tonight you have said that," said Yerim with a sigh.

"Let's review: why would he lie about his whereabouts?" Questioned Taeil taking a puff of his cigarette as he thought of possible answers. Then, it came to him, "what if he was having an affair?"

"Who would he be having an affair with?" Mark asks, not really paying attention anymore.

The door burst open and another fellow officer hurried into the room, holding a large, yellow envelope. The man was trying to catch his breath as he slammed the strange case onto the table, "sir, you're going to have to look at this."

Taeil glared at the item and carefully began prying whatever was in his hands open. He shoved his hands into the envelope and pulled out a large document with, what seemed to be, nonsense collaged onto it. Letters from magazines and newspapers were glued and placed into a message, reading:

_ To whom this may concern: _

_ If you follow these sets of instructions no one else gets killed. We will offer the Police one million dollars to leave Joy Park's murder unsolved. If not, you will suffer at the hands of more death than ever imagined. _

_ Yours truly,  
_ _ The Society _

"They want us to WHAT?!" Mark yelled, his brain finally waking up after sitting down for nearly two hours straight.

"One million dollars?" Yerim questions, "this department doesn't even have half a million!"

The phone rang, interrupting their exchange. Taeil stared at the loud device, wondering where the call would have been coming from. When he reached across the table to wrap his hands around the small handle, his coworkers gave him a worried look, but why? Picking the telephone off the receiver, Taeil answers the caller on the other line politely, "Moon Taeil, Los Angeles Police Department."

_ "I see you have gotten our note," _ the caller answers, their voice slightly distorted.

Taeil got nervous as he proceeded on, "we have, what do you want from us?"

_ "Are you blind? We want one million dollars from you," _ they reply harshly,  _ "if you don't cooperate with us, there will be dire consequences." _

"Look," says Taeil with a slight growl in his voice, "I don't know what your intention is, but we will not stand for this injustice while I am in charge. I will not let the corruption of this city consume and bring us down!"

There was silence on the other side of the line. All the officers awaited an answer.

_ "So I see you have made your decision," _ a new voice answers the telephone, startling Taeil,  _ "I'll let you know, Moon Taeil, that in this city your actions hold importance. We appreciate doing business with you." _ The person hangs up.

More officers stormed into the room, panicked and terrified. One of them approaches Taeil, "sir, there's been another murder!"

Out of anger, the man slams the phone against the receiver, yelling curses, "shit!" He wasn't angry anymore, he was infuriated. Taeil felt like he was doing his job wrong, more people were dead and it was his fault. He couldn't take it anymore, they,  _ The Society _ , were playing him and he was falling right into their trap.

"Who's dead?" asked Mark as he tried to calm down the lead detective.

"Tiffany Young," someone says.

Taeil didn't know what to do. He was stuck, confused, and lost. These people knew what he wanted, what he was scared off, and what he couldn't achieve. The detective sends out a group of officers to the scene of the murder, telling them he would be joining them soon as he regroups his subconscious.

Mark and Yerim sit next to their boss, trying their best to offer their help and remedy.

"I know you're stressed, but you can't abandon your city," the woman says reassuringly, "prove to the masses that we can obtain justice for once. These women didn't die in your name, they died at the hands of someone who thought they could take your legacy."

Mark knew his words weren't as powerful as his coworker, but he offered any form of consolation he could, "you're an amazing detective, don't doubt yourself, Taeil. Proof to those psychos that the City of Angels is a beautiful city that doesn't deserve to be poisoned by murder."

Mark was right. Los Angeles was a thriving city, full of beautiful people who have aspirations of their own; some want to be movie stars, some musicians, some painters; some want to build up a distinguished legacy. Taeil yearned for the truth and nothing else. It kept him up at night. The voices of the deceased called out his name, craving the same form of honestly and vengeance the living plead for.

But, that story is old.


	4. Cigarette - IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY I HAVENT BEEN UPDATING I LOWKEY FORGOT ABOUT THIS STORY OKAY AND SCHOOL IS A PAIN IN THE BUTT. PLEASE ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!!!

**April 10, 1969  
8:10 PM, Sunset Blvd**

Like every bar on Hollywood Boulevard, it reeked of alcohol and cigarettes; if you had a really good sense of smell, then you could identify who had weed or not. Sunny Wonder scored a gig at The Melody Lounge, which was the spot for aspiring singers and bands to perform at. It was Johnny's dream to perform at the lounge, in hopes that he would meet a rock and roll legend and then brag about it to his future children ("that is if you have any," Sunny would say to annoy him).

The bar was packed with hundreds of people that were excited to see the performing act of that evening. Sunny was excited, don't get her wrong, but this was the first gig that the band was performing original songs. 

The band was backstage tuning their instruments as they drank and watched the television; like every room in L.A., it smelt of cigarettes.

_"The LAPD has released reports concerning the sudden deaths of actresses Joy Park and Tiffany Young. The police say that these two murders are connected by a group of people who call themselves 'The Society'. The head detective on these string of murders, Moon Taeil, says that he determined to find the murders,"_ the news anchor said to the camera. Everyone in the city was still shaken up by the homicides, was it safe to trust anyone these days?

Sunny turned down the volume on the television, insisting that she was tired of hearing the same sad news. Her band members tried to calm her down, emphasizing that she needed to focus on the performance that evening.

A man dressed very professionally entered the room and the band turned their gaze towards him. "Can anyone direct me towards the frontman of Sunny Wonder?"

Sunny turned around gave him a beguiling look. "Why that would be me. What can the frontman herself help you with?" She took a puff of her cigarette and purposefully exhaled a breath of smoke near his face, causing Siyeon too let out a chuckle.

Humming and fanning the smoke away from his face, the man looked the woman before glancing at the other members, "I've heard some good things about you and your band, Sunny."

"What things?" asked Johnny.

"How many songs have you written, miss?" the businessman continued, leaving Johnny's question unanswered.

"If you and I are talking business I'd say enough to produce multiple albums," humming, the woman crushed her cigarette in one of the ashtrays. "Look, sir, multiple men have come to me, saying that they would love to sign our band if there weren't two women with creative control in charge."

She gives him one last coarse look before turning to grab her guitar from the chair, telling him, "we have to be on in a few minutes, so if you don't mind us, we will be on our way."

"Wait," the man said, "I'll make a deal with you: if you pull off a great performance tonight, we can talk about producing a full-length album. Because if Jefferson Airplane did it, you lovely group of people can too."

He leaves the room, his question soaking in the pungent atmosphere.

**March 21, 1969**   
**9:00 AM, Beverly Hills**

Jaehyun doesn't remember what happened last night, it was all a blur. He recalls going out for drinks and dinner with Tyler; and oh how  _ lovely _ that evening was. He felt like he was on top of the world. Jaehyun knew he was in too deep, but that's the price you pay when you fall in love. When it was the dead of night, Jaehyun escorted Tyler back to his mansion. They showed each other what it's like to be salacious.

The sun peeked through the white curtains of the messy room, causing Jaehyun to stir in his bed. He rolled over, expecting there to be another person laying with him, but to his disappointment, the other half of the mattress was empty. The actor shot up from the sheets, surprised and exhausted from the prior affairs that evening.  _'Why would Tyler leave?'_ the man asked himself as he rubbed his drowsy eyes. Jaehyun let out a quiet groan as he sat up, he proceeded to slide on a pair of pajama pants and a silk bathrobe before he entered the bathroom. 

God was he a mess. He had obvious dark circles, messy hair, and felt overly exhausted. He needed coffee. Jaehyun took a moment to cleanse himself, trying to be fit for whomever he was meeting that day. As he was rejuvenating, the butler entered the room quietly, knocking on the bathroom door to signal he was there.

"Sir, you have guests," the servant notifies Jaehyun of the sudden shift of plans.

"Who is here this early in the morning?" Jaehyun mutters into the towel that was spread across his face, he was washing his God-awful dry skin.

"Seulgi and a few other children,"

"Children?" questioned the actor in a very serious tone. It's not that he disliked children, he just wasn't very ecstatic about them.

The butler nods, "they are downstairs in the living room, waiting for you of course."

Jaehyun lets out a loud breath and nodded, understanding that he would have to look more presentable to his guests. His butler was about to leave, but the actor had a question that he was dying to ask.

"Do you know what happened to the man from last night?" The room was very silent for a moment, the servant stopped in his tracks to reminisce in his thoughts.

"I'm afraid he left very early this morning," the man replied. The response worried Jaehyun,  _ 'why would Tyler leave' _ he asked himself.

Swallowing harshly, the man tries to squeeze one more request out of the latter, "please, can you not tell anyone else about him?"

"I wouldn't imagine exposing your secrets, sir."

Once his butler leaves, he tries to fix up his messy room (that may or may not have been from last night); tied the bathrobe around his waist. Jaehyun heads out of his room and travels downstairs to meet his awaiting guests. The bottom floor seemed to be silent, his servants were most likely away dealing with some of his chores, leaving the young actor by himself to recollect in his thoughts.

"Jae?" Seulgi came out of nowhere and startled the man.

"Christ, Seulgi! Don't do that!"

The woman laughs, smacking his side playfully, "I thought I told you that we would be enjoying the day together, don't you remember?"

Jaehyun shakes his head out of embarrassment.

"If you want to keep your image, we need to be together during times where you're not with a man," she whispered to him as she crossed her arms.

"I understand, I know," replied the man.

They entered one of the many living rooms Jaehyun had in his home, only to be greeted with two little children demanding attention (or how to operate the television).

"Sir, do I have to make breakfast for the children?" asked one of the butlers, the children then charged towards him, demanding food.

"Boys, please leave him alone," Jaehyun asked politely, "do you think you could make them pancakes? That would calm them down." The butler nods and escorts the young boys into the kitchen for food.

Jaehyun and Seulgi then withdrew to a small room where they could talk in peace. The man gets out a glass and makes a mimosa for himself, he wasn't an alcoholic, he just needed to wake up.

"So I take it you had a lovely evening?" Seulgi asks plopping down on the comfortable cushioned-chair.

Grumbling, Jaehyun nodded, rubbing his sockets to wake himself up. "Yeah," there was a faint blush on his cheeks, he was so embarrassed to tell his closet friend about his affairs. The actor felt like he was exposing himself and not in a good way.

"So what's he like?" beams the young woman with a broad grin spread across her cheeks. "Noble? Handsome? Romantic?" She leans in close to whisper in his ear, " _sexy_ ?"

Jaehyun turns red quickly and nearly spills his champagne all over the bar, "cut it out Seulgi!"

The woman laughs, she couldn't help herself. "I'm only teasing you! Come on, tell me about him!"

The man lets out a sigh as he finishes preparing his drink and plops down on the couch. "Fine," he takes a sip of his drink first "he's the whole package, Seulgi, I don't get how someone can be so perfect. He's such a gentleman, the way he treats me makes me feel spoiled. I don't deserve the kind of treatment he gives me."

Seulgi smiles, "there's a sparkle in your eyes when you talk about him."

She was right but why wouldn't his eyes glimmer? Jaehyun was finally happy and Seulgi could see it; that's all she ever asked for. Jaehyun deserved to be accepted.

"I'm in love," he says with a deep tone, "I can't help myself."

"You deserve to be in love," replies Seulgi. She stood up and stepped toward him, cupping the man's cheeks in her palms as if she were holding an infant. "You should be proud of who you are, don't get caught up in what the public thinks of your sexuality."

The actor nods and takes ahold of her hands; he squeezes them tightly, never wanting to let go. Seulgi was the only woman he wanted to hold close in his fragile heart.

**March 25, 1969**   
**10:15 PM, Arts District**

The bar became very reserved after ten, not many people were interested in staying out late at a jazz nightclub in the middle of the week, however, there were a few lone drinkers at the bar. As a way to show her respect to the owners for letting her play on Wednesday evenings, Wendy offered to clean up with the bartenders, it was the least she could do. Cleaning glasses weren't that hard, right?

Cigarette smoke filled the air with a harsh smell, it distracted Wendy from getting the job done, causing her to have small coughing fits every once in a while. She wanted to be back in her apartment, enjoying some nice music and chatting with her roommate about strange topics until the sun rose. But for now, she was just going to finish her shift at the bar and see what the night brings here.

A man approaches the bar and sits down directly where Wendy was cleaning her classes. He asks her if she has a lighter; she has to decline (since she doesn't smoke). The man chuckles and asks one of the other bartenders if they have a lighter, luckily, he scores one and is able to light his tobacco.

"I've seen you perform before," he tells Wendy as he exhales a breath of smoke, "you have such a beautiful voice."

Letting a smile spread across her face, Wendy hums and tilts her head away out of embarrassment, she could feel her cheeks reddening.

"That's very nice of you to say," she replies, sending her smile towards the man who complimented her, "what brings you here on this lovely evening?" Continuing to polish the wet glasses, the woman lingers where the man is sitting, wanting to enjoy a refreshing conversation.

"I guess I just needed to get away," he replies taking a puff of his cigarette, it gives him a second to pause and collect his thoughts.

Wendy gets what he was coming from. She grabs a clean glass and pours him some liquor, sliding it to him as he was collecting his thoughts. The man looks at her before giving the woman a grin and takes a sip from his cup, letting out a refreshing "Ah!~" after he took his first shot.

He thanks her, "I needed that. I'm Jaemin, by the way."

"Wendy," she replies leaning against the bar to get a better look at him, or, Jaemin. "What do you do for a living, Jaemin?" 

"Now, can you tell me why a little, country girl decided to move to the City of Flowers and Sunshine?" Jaemin asks with a smug grin and proceeds to smoke.

Wendy shrugs, "not exactly sure. I kinda wanted to get out of my small town, Tennessee doesn't have much to offer."

"I see," nods Jaemin. He takes a sip of his liquor and stays quiet so she can speak.

"I wanted to start over, I've always wanted to come to Los Angeles. It's so beautiful here," she says with a soft smile.

Jaemin gives her a nod and reminisces for a moment, giving a moment to listen to the soft music playing in the background and letting the alcohol properly absorb in his system. He finds himself inching closer to the woman; he can't tell if it was him or the cocktail speaking.

As Wendy placed a glass down, she felt a hand wrap around her own; she felt her cheeks heat up very quickly. She cast a look towards Jaemin, her gaze was very worrying and troubled.

"I'm sorry," the man says quickly retracting his hand. He didn't realize that his palm was on top of hers. "I just can't get over how stunning you are.."

Wendy didn't know what to tell him, she kept quiet, continuing to stare at him.

"Please forgive me," Jaemin apologizes again, consciously acknowledging that he severely fucked up.

The woman slightly shook her head and walked away from the bar, leaving the man in his troubles and he took another puff of his cigarette.

Wendy was his new cigarette.


End file.
